Wire-stretcher.



PATENTED JULY 16, 1907.

'M. E. JOHNSON. WIRE STRBTCHBR.

1 APPLICATION FILED JAN.16, 1907.

5 under 7 Wit wow 1n: NORRIS FEYCF ca, vusnmcrou, n c.

MOSES E. JOHNSON, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters l atent.

Patented July 16, 1907.

Application filed January 16, 1907. Serial No. 352,571-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MosEsE. JonNsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Wire-Stretcher, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to wire stretchers, the object in View being toproduce a single Wire stretcher especially designed for use inconstructing and repairing wire fences, whereby a firm and reliable holdor grip may be obtained on the wire without bending or crimping andimpairing the strength of the wire, such grip or hold being obtained inand during the normal movement or swing of the lever handle of thestretcher.

A further object of the invention is to construct the jaws of thestretcher in such manner, and to so combine the jaw operating devicetherewith, that the wire may be gripped and held by either side of thejaws, that is to say at either side of the implement; furthermore thestrain upon the jaws and the operating mechanism thereof is equallydivided or distributed, thus increasing the life, durability andeificiency of the stretcher as a whole. 5

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in thenovelconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts, as herein fullydescribed, illustrated and claimed. I

In the accompanying drawings:Figure l is a plan view of the wirestretcher of this invention, showing the parts thereof in grippingposition. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view, showing the lever handleswung partly to one side to partially open the jaws. Fig. 3 is a centrallongitudinal section through the stretcher. Fig. 4 is an enlargedperspective view of the movable jaw of the stretcher.

The wire stretcher contemplated herein comprises three main members,viz; a fixed jaw 1, which is combined with the fulcrum head hereinafterdescribed, a movable jaw 2, and a handle or lever member 3 which carriesthe operating device by which the movable jaw is actuated.

The fixed jaw 1 has extended to one side thereof the fulcrum head 4which is preferably described on a hollow curve as to its working faceso as to fit partially around and obtaina satisfactory hold upon thefence post across whichthe wire is being stretched. Projecting from theopposite and gripping face of the jaw 1 is a flat broad shank 5 uponwhich the movable jaw 2 slides back and forth.

The movable jaw 2 embodies a gripping head 6, a back or base 7, andconnecting parallel side bars 8, as shown best in Fig. 4, the head 6 andthe back or base 7 being apertured or slotted as shown at 9 and 10 toreceive the shank 5, thus permitting the jaw 2 to slide freely on theshank. The connecting bars 8 are of a thickness equal to or slightlyless than the thickness of the shank 5 so that they will slide freelybetween the cams on the lever handle to be described.

The lever or handle member 3 is bifurcated as best shown in Fig. 3, tostraddle the shank 5 and is provided with oppositely arranged cams 11which work on opposite sides of the shank 5 and between oppositelyarranged shoulders formed by the head 6 and the base or back 7- of thesliding jaw 2, as shown in Fig. 2. It will be observed that the innerside of the base 7 is curved to form' a cam face 12, against which thecams ll operated to throw the movable jaw 2 away from the fixed jaw 1,the handle member being connected to the shank 5 by a pivot or stud 13,set off to one side of the center of the shank and eccentric to theworking face of the cams.

When the lever handle is swung in one direction, the cams act againstthe base of the sliding jaw to separate the jaws to receive or releasethe wire which is held between them.-' When the lever is swung in theopposite direction the cams act upon and against the head 6 to force thesliding jaw toward the fixed jaw, firmly gripping the wire between saidjaws. By continuing this movement of the lever handle the wire isstretched to the desired extent and may then be stapled or otherwiselastened in place.

The member 3 is formed with a socket 14 for the reception of a suitablehandle or lever of any length necessary, and this socket may be eitherround, or square or of any other desired shape to suit the shape of thehandle or lever 15, which isprovided with a tongue 16 of correspondingshape and may be securely fastened in the socket by a pin 17. To obtaina firm grip on the Wire and prevent crimping the same, the grippingfaces of the jaws are waved or described on a compound curve as shown at18, and the front and back corners of the fixed and movable jaws mayalso be rounded off as shown at 19 for the same purpose. The handlemember 3 and the handle or lever 15 may, of course, be made in one pieceif desired. These and other changes may be made in the form,construction and minordetails of the stretcher,'without departing fromthe principle or sacrificing any of the ad vantages of this invention.

I claim:-

1. A wire stretcher comprising a jaw with a shank, a second jaw mountedto slide on said shank and having op positely arranged shoulders, and ajaw operating lever having a cam which works between said shoulders toopen and close the jaws.

, 2. A wire stretcher comprising a jaw with a shank, a second ja-wmounted to slide thereon and having two sets of oppositely arrangedshoulders, and a jaw operating le ver having cams working at oppositesides of the shank be tween and against said shoulders of the slidingjaw.

3. A wire stretcher comprising a jaw with a shank, a second jaw mountedto slide on said shank and embodying a head, a base, and connecting sidebars therefor, and a jaw-operating lever, bifurcated to straddle theshank and having cams working at opposite sides of the shank between andagainst the head and base of the sliding jaw.

4. A wire stretcher comprising a jaw with a shank, a

sliding jaw mounted on said shank, and a jaw-operating lever having apivotal connection with said shank and provided with a cam which actsalternately in opposite directions on the sliding jaw.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MOSES E. JOHNSON. Witnesses W. .T. WHITE.

P. Lowln'.

